Teddy bear games and activities for children
Teddy bears provide a sense of comfort in anxious situations which is why children love these traditonal and timeless toys. Sarah Holmes, Director of Merrythought Bears has also stated in previous interviews that teddy bears are popular with children and they appeal to both boys and girls. When a child is given a teddy bear they bring it to life and for some children it's their first friend. Teddy bears can also help stimulate and develop children's imagination and by incorporating teddy bears into the world games you are encouring imaginative play. It's also a good way of keeping your children entertained during the school holidays or weekends. Here are 7 teddy bear activities and games for children.
1. Teddy bear book club
Ask your children to pick their favourite bears and their favourite book. Set up an area inside or outside the house where your children can gather with their teddy bears to read them a story. This is also a good way of improving their reading skills.
2. Fancy dress
To play this game ask your children to dress their teddy bear or bears in dolls clothes, hairband, clips, hats, scarves, sunglasses or any other props. They could even hold a mini fashion show and have the teddy bears walk down the runway. They could even rate the teddy bears out of 10 on appearance.
3. Teddy bear picnic/tea party
To organise a tedy bear high tea ask your children to gather their favourite teddy bears, bring out the best toy tea set or picnic set. Make some of your children's favourite snacks, set up a picnic table outside or inside and create a beautiful spread for them to enjoy. You could even out on some music.
4. Musical chairs
Here are the steps to play musical chairs with teddy bears:
- Ask each child to bring a tedy bear.
- Set up the chairs (one less than the total number of people in a side by side row or a circle.
- When the music starts the children need to walk around the chairs with thier teddy bears.
- Once the music stops everyone must find a chair for their bear to one.
- The child that doesn't find a chair for their bear is out of the game.
- Continue with the game until only one child remains.
Musical chairs is a good way of teaching your not to push or shove and having patience and respect for other children. It also helps enchance their listening and focus skills.
5. Pass the parcel
Here's how to play the classic British game pass the parcel with a teddy bear:
- Place a bear in a box and wrap the box in layers of paper.
- Sit the children in a circle.
- Put some music on and let the children pass the parcel whilst the music is playing.
- When the music stops the child holding the parcel has to unwrap a layer of parcel, claim their prize and leave the game.
- Continue until the last layer is unwrapped to reveal which teddy bear is inside the box.
Pass the parcel helps enchance their listening and focus skills.
6. Teddy bear hide and seek
This game can be played alone or as a group. Here are the steps to play hide and seek individually:
- Ask your children to close their eyes and count to 10 or more, whilst your children are counting, find a spot to hide the teddy bear.
- Once they have finished counting ask them to find the teddy bear.
Here are the steps to play teddy bear hide and seek in a group:
- Nominate one child to hide the teddy bear, while all the other children close their eyes and counts to 10 or more.
- Once the nominated child has hidden the bear and the other children have finished counting ask all the children apart from the child that hid the bear to find where it is.
- The child that finds the teddy bear first is the winner and is in charge for hiding the bear in the next round.
- Continue with this until each child has had a chance to hide the bear.
7. About my bear
Ask your children to draw their favourite bear and write a few things about them like their name, what their teddy bear likes or dislikes, where they came from, what their favourite colour is. For older children you could ask them to write a short story about their favourite teddy bear.